Thomas shumatf



(No Model.)

T. SHUMA'N.

Barbed Wire Pence; No. 238,255. Patented March 1,1881.

' INVENTOR wtqqm8m udb, 1"

ATTORNEYS EILFETEKS, FHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D c- UNITED STATESarenr FEFICE. V

THOMAS SHUMAN, OF GORNING, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE A.MORSE, OF SAME PLACE.

BARBED-WIRE FENCE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,255, dated March 1,1881.

Application filed October 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS SHUMAN, ofCorning, in the county of Adams and State of Iowa, have invented certainnew and use ful Improvements in Barb-Wire Fences; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the IO same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wire barb fences; and theinvention consists in certain features in construction and combinationsof parts, as will hereinafter be described, and pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, of asection of fence built in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is adetached view of the jointed wire. Fig. "3 is a plan view of one of thestay-blanks. Fig.

4 shows the blank after having its ends slotted.

v Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 an edge view,

of the stay after it has been bent into the desired form.

A represents thewires of a fence. Instead of being composed ofcontinuous strands of wire, as in ordinary frames, each wire is composedof the links B, which may be of any de sired length, size, and shape.The opposite ends of each link are cut diagonally, and the ends thenbent over toward each other to form 5 loops a b on opposite ends of thelink, the

ends being bent outwardly or at right angles to the length of the link,forming barbs o c. When the several links are secured together, whichoperation is readily accomplished by 4o inserting the loop at one end ofthe link of the loop of the next adjacent link, a barbwire is formedhaving sharp barbs projecting in opposite directions. This form ofconstruction is very valuable in many places when it i 4 5 is sometimesdesired to move the fence or take (No model.)

put up in packages and readily transported, o

as illustrated in Fig. 4, and one portion of the divided or slitted endis bent over onto the stay and then outward, thereby forming aloop,

d, and outwardly-projecting barb c. The other portion of the dividedends of the stay constitute end barbs, f f. The stays G are attached tothe wires, as shown in Fig. 1, and serve a twofold purpose. They operateto strengthen the panels of the fence by binding the wires together, andprevent the wires from sagging, thereby permitting sufficient slack wireto obviate any danger of breaking the wire by its contraction in coldweather and still maintain proper space between the seve- 7o ral wires.The stays also serve to furnish the required barbs for the fence. Theend barbs of the stays, in connection with the laterallyprojectingbarbs, furnish ample protection to the fence.

The loop may be readily attached to the wires, as the outwardlybentbarbs form a throat at the entrance of the loop into which the wire isguided and is forced into the loop, it being retained therein againstaccidental displace- 8o ment by the springing qualities of the metal ofwhich the stay is manufactured.

From the foregoing it will be observed that myimproved stay admits ofthe exercise of the greatest economy in its manufacture.

By cutting the stays with diagonal ends and then slitting the ends, asdescribed, two sharp-pointed barbs are formed without waste of metal.These stays may be attached to any construction of wire fence, eitherbarbed 0 or plain. The edges of the stays may be left smooth,or they mayhave barbs formed thereon by a cut, the severed portion being bentoutwardly from the main body of the stay.

It is evident that slight changes in the con- 5 struction and relativearrangement of the parts might be resorted to without departing from thespirit of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I donot limit the otherhalf bentback upon the stay, forming myself totheprecise construction and arrangea loop, the end of the latter being bentoutment of parts shown and described but Wardly to form a lateral barb,substantially as Having fully described my invention, What set forth. Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Let- In testimony that I claim theforegoing I 15 ters Patent, is have hereunto set my hand.

A stay for barb-Wire fences, consisting of a THOMAS SHUMAN. metal striphaving its ends severed by a di- Witness s: agonal cut and slittedlongitudinally, one-half D. A MCNAIR,

:o of the slitted portion forming an end barb and b. A..STOVER.

